Pore defects in a nickel-based superalloy with high Ti content

Pores are uncommon defects in superalloy bars, which deserve to be investigated. In this work, a type of pore defect within GH4710 nickel-based superalloy was investigated by 3D X-ray imaging method combined with metallographic analysis. 3D X-ray imaging was used for locating and visualizing the defects in the alloy. The 3D X-ray imaging result of the defects showed a good agreement with the defect anatomical morphologies. It was observed that the pore defect was accompanied by MC carbides, micro-crack, and non-metallic inclusions. The origin of pore defect was attributed to the shrinkage pores, inclusion and the complex precipitates. The analysis showed that the pore defects in GH4710 alloy was associated with strong micro-segregation and complex phase precipitation during solidification, induced by the high weight content of Ti and C in the alloy.